MLS Fantasy 2018: Gameweek 12 - Captaincy Picks
Picking a Captain to double down on in MLS Fantasy is the most important choice ahead of each of the 34 regular season Gameweek's in MLS's season. There's a lot of self-help out there for MLS enthusiasts, with our Hype Team providing three major considerations for the armband for each and every Gameweek. We'll be detailing the top choice for captain in home and away matches, and a Wildcard pick of our choosing to add to the chaos. All aboard.
MLS Fantasy: Gameweek Deadline
For the 2018 MLS Fantasy season there is a 'Rolling Lockout', which means you can make substitutions and transfers until the second a player's game kicks off, which means you can chop and change your lineup as any Gameweek progresses.
You can view the schedule and a real time Gameweek deadline countdown clock (in the London GMT timezone) on our dedicated MLS Fantasy page.
Captaincy in MLS Fantasy
There are a few differences with picking a captain in MLS compared to playing other games such as FPL. The major element to note with our Captaincy article is that we'll be picking a captain who is playing home and away, as well as a Wildcard player of our own choosing.
We've listed the differences below that make captaincy in MLS Fantasy unique:
- With the Rolling Lockout, you can change your captain until the selected captaincy pick plays
- Once the team your captaincy pick takes to the field, you can no longer change your captain
- If your captaincy pick doesn't play, then you'll end up with nothing
- There is no option to select a vice captain
CAPTAINCY HYPE: 2018 SEASON PERFORMANCE
In each Captaincy article we track our progress throughout the 2018 MLS Fantasy season. Below you can check how our captaincy selections have performed by week to week in Major League Soccer.
GW1
Home: Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto 0-2 Columbus Crew) - 3pts
Away: Josef Martinez (Houston Dynamo 4-0 Atlanta United) - 5pts
Wildcard: Nicolas Lodeiro (Seattle Sounders 0-1 LAFC) - 9pts
GW2
Home: David Villa (NYCFC 2-1 LA Galaxy) - 10pts
Away: Yamil Asad (Atlanta United 3-1 D.C. United) - 2pts
Wildcard: Alberth Elis (Houston Dynamo 1-2 Vancouver Whitecaps) - 9pts
GW3
Home: David Villa (NYCFC 2-0 Orlando City) - 0pts
Away: Nemanja Nikolic (Minnesota United 2-1 Chicago Fire) - 2pts
Wildcard: Miguel Almiron (Atlanta United 4-1 Vancouver Whitecaps) - 10pts
GW4
Home: Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew 3-1 D.C. United) - 2pts
Away: Maxi Moralez (New England Revolution 2-2 NYCFC) - 4pts
Wildcard: Bradley Wright-Phillips (New York Red Bulls 3-0 Minnesota United) - 13pts
GW5
Home: Felipe Gutierrez (Sporting Kansas City 1-0 D.C. United) - 6pts
Away: Carlos Vela (LA Galaxy 4-3 LAFC) - 15pts
Wildcard: Alberth Elis (Houston Dynamo 0-2 New England Revolution) - 3pts
GW6
Home: Miguel Almiron (Atlanta United 5-0 LAFC) - 20pts
Away: Carlos Vela (Atlanta United 5-0 LAFC) - 3pts
Wildcard: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (LA Galaxy 0-2 Sporting Kansas City) - 2pts
GW7
Home: Miguel Almiron (Atlanta United 2-2 NYCFC) - 10pts
Away: Sacha Kljestan (Philadelphia Union 0-2 Orlando City) - 8pts
Wildcard: Maxi Moralez (NYCFC 4-0 RSL // Atlanta 2-2 NYCFC) - 23pts
GW8
Home: Bradley Wright-Phillips (New York Red Bulls 1-2 Chicago Fire) - 10pts
Away: Miguel Almiron (LA Galaxy 0-2 Atlanta United) - 14pts
Wildcard: Alberth Elis (Houston Dynamo 5-1 Toronto) - 8pts
GW9
Home: Miguel Almiron (Atlanta United 4-1 Montreal Impact) - 15pts
Away: Dom Dwyer (Colorado Rapids 1-2 Orlando City) - 2pts
Wildcard: Carlos Vela (LAFC 1-0 Seattle Sounders) - 5pts
GW10
Home: Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto 3-0 Philadelphia Union) - 12pts
Away: Miguel Almiron (Chicago Fire 1-2 Atlanta United) - 10pts
Wildcard: Darwin Quintero (Minnesota United 1-0 Vancouver Whitecaps) - 3pts
GW11
Home: Carlos Vela (LAFC 2-0 Minnesota United & LAFC 2-2 NYCFC) - 18pts
Away: Miguel Almiron (Atlanta 0-2 Sporting KC & Orlando City 1-2 Atlanta) - 12pts
Wildcard: Darwin Quintero (Toronto 1-2 Seattle & New England 3-2 Toronto) - 16pts
Totals
Home Total: 3 (1), 10 (2), 0 (3), 2 (4), 6 (5), 20 (6), 10 (7), 10 (8), 15 (9), 12 (10), 18 (11) = 106 points
Away Total: 5 (1), 2 (2), 2 (3), 4 (4), 15 (5), 3 (6), 8 (7), 14 (8), 2 (9), 10 (10), 12 (11) = 77 points
Wildcard Total: 9 (1), 9 (2), 10 (3), 13 (4), 3 (5), 2 (6), 23 (7), 8 (8), 5 (9), 3 (10), 16 (11) = 101 points
Gameweek 12: Home Captain
Fixture: NYCFC vs. Colorado Rapids
Player: David Villa (NYC)
Position: Forward
Player Price: $10.3 million
First up for captaincy consideration is a player who features in a single Gameweek 11 fixture. Outside of San Jose Earthquakes and Vancouver Whitecaps, 2 sides who have shown temperamental form this season, it is Patrick Vieira's NYCFC side that look in the best position to capitalise this week.
Playing an out of form Colorado Rapids side at home is the perfect venue for New York to regain some form after suffering a 4-0 loss in the derby against the Red Bulls, before a 2-2 draw at LAFC last week. With Atlanta pulling away in the East on 25 points, NYC find themselves 4 points behind having played the same number of matches, and have slipped into 3rd after Columbus's recent upturn in form has seen them go ahead of City on goal difference.
The man up for selection is of course David Villa. The Spanish international has featured in the last 5 matches as a starter, scoring 4 goals and providing 1 assist in that time. The gears have wound up on Villa's form and it is time to consider him as a Fantasy option with more serious thought, especially in what looks set to be a routine home victory against a Colorado side only off the foot of the Western Conference due to goal difference.
With San Jose and Vancouver unpredictable, safer bets with captaincy might be from teams featuring once, and it might be a strategy that many MLS Fantasy players go with this week, especially if the midweek game is a dud affair.
Gameweek 12: Away Captain
Fixtures: Vancouver vs. San Jose & San Jose vs. D.C. United
Player: Magnus Eriksson (SJ)
Position: Midfielder
Player Price: $9.6 million
Next up for captaincy consideration this week is one of the Double Gameweek players, and with San Jose Earthquakes starting their week on the road to Vancouver, it is a case of rolling the dice what San Jose midfield options you think might be the most beneficial this week.
An away trip to Vancouver first might pose serious questions defensive questions for San Jose, especially with Kei Kamara back in the starting lineup. The Whitecaps will be without Marinovic in goal, which could open the door for one or two San Jose midfield assets to sneak into your Fantasy side.
Highly erratic, there's not one standout pick this week, though Magnus Eriksson looks a potential asset not to overlook. In the 3-1 win at Minnesota it was the DP, Eriksson, who took a penalty kick until Chris Wondolowski entered the fray in the second half. The Swede and Vako will be on set-pieces this week, with Danny Hoeson on the opposite flank of Eriksson with license to roam in attack.
The victory over Minnesota was Eriksson's first double digit Fantasy return of the season, and was his first goal or assist in 3 matches. In total though Eriksson's 6 attacking returns have been more reliable than Hoesen's or Vako's, which puts the Midfielder as a slight favourite when considering captaincy options this week.
It's likely that most other MLS Fantasy players will be utilising any combination of Vako-Hoesen-Eriksson, so at the very least to cover your bases, it might be a necessary move to make this week.
Gameweek 12: Wildcard Captain
Fixtures: Vancouver vs. San Jose & FC Dallas vs. Vancouver
Player: Kei Kamara (VAN)
Position: Forward
Player Price: $9.1 million
Last up for selection is a Forward whose involvements in matches can completely change the destiny of the side that he plays for. It's not dramatic to say that Kei Kamara can be the difference between a win or a loss, but due to how Vancouver have been organised this season, they really have missed Kamara when he's not been playing.
Vancouver are 5th in the West and host 10th placed San Jose, which on paper looks like a potentially routine home win for Vancouver it you only had a glance at the table. Realistically, we're looking at a potentially tight contest in Canada with a few potential match-winners on display.
Kamara's not scored since Gameweek 5 in the 2-1 victory at Columbus Crew, but did provide the crucial assist for Kendall Watson's late equaliser during Gameweek 11's 2-2 home draw against Houston Dynamo.
Kei Kamara is the perfect candidate for the Wildcard position this week, given potential fitness concerns, and Vancouver being hard to trust, but if there is one man to trust, then he's the one from this squad.
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All aboard.
